Individuals in need of active ingredients for a desired biological response are generally required to ingest the active ingredients around the time at which the biological response is desired. For example, an athlete participating in a sporting event may require rehydration at some point during the event, and such rehydration can generally only be accomplished by consuming during the event a product that includes an active ingredient that can aid in rehydration (e.g., electrolytes). In many instances, the need to consume active ingredients during an event can be a competitive disadvantage, such as in situations where the athlete needs to physically slow down or completely stop in order to consume the desired active ingredient.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,449,920, 8,518,448, and 8,545,892 describe sustained-released beads that can be included in consumable products, such as foods or beverages. The sustained-released beads are consumed at, e.g., the beginning of an athletic event, and are designed to deliver an active ingredient over an extended period of time. In this manner, an athlete can consume an active ingredient once (e.g., before an athletic event begins) but still be provided with the active ingredient over the course of the event and without having to slow down or stop participation in the athletic event in order to consume additional active ingredient(s).
While useful in athletic competitions, the above-described sustained-release beads are not capable of providing precision, on-demand delivery of active ingredients. For example, if an athlete is participating in a bicycle race and desires a burst of caffeine as he or she approaches a steep climb, the athlete has no way to make the previously ingested sustained-release beads provide the active ingredient at the exact time the athlete begins his or her climb. Generally speaking, the rate at which the active ingredient is delivered to the athlete is outside of the athlete's control once the product is consumed. The sustained release beads can be designed to provide active ingredients at general time intervals, but various factors (e.g., the athlete's own physiology) will alter the timing at which the active ingredient is released, thereby making precision, on-demand delivery of an active ingredient during an event exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.